Modern Serf: “Best bar” profiles of the Marliave and Craigie will be along shortly. Fred, what was the nature of your not-positive experience at the Marliave, if you don’t mind my asking? I’ve been there on, I think, a Weds and a Friday night, and both were pleasant.

It was a Tuesday. The bartender did not seem very attentive even though the place was rather empty. I ordered a Jenny Churchill. They were out of Vya vermouth at the bar so I ended up with a Old Overholdt and Noilly Prat Manhattan. He was willing to up the vermouth level for me to something more from the era they were portraying. After he had started stirring, I had to ask him to put the bitters in (they were listed as an ingredient) and he looked at me like I was a freak. He took out the three bottles and told me to pick. I picked Peychaud’s and he administered the smallest drop, not even a dash. At that point, I just gave up. For the same cost per drink, I got my next two at No. 9 Park that night. I felt that they were milking the speakeasy history of the bar more than the quality of their current day drinks. I would not say it was unpleasant, just that there are plenty of non-”best bars” that can make that level of drink for me and I can do much better on a lazy night in my kitchen.

All my Marliave experiences have been very good, including the Jenny Churchill, which I think is a great drink (and I love the cherries they use). Had a couple of good gin martinis there last night, actually, and I found the service to be as good and friendly as usual.

I have to side with Frederic. While I’ve had a few very good drinks at Marliave, I’ve also had a number of mediocre cocktails as well. In fact, a friend who loves Manhattans was recently visiting from out of town and I took him to Marliave for a Jenny Churchill. They were so poorly made that we left after barely finishing them for Silvertone around the corner.

Interesting. My experiences have been more akin to leswes’s. The cocktails at the Marliave are not on the caliber of those at Drink or Craigie on Main, but the ones I’ve had have been solid. Consistency is the hardest thing to master.